54 
roofed with boughs upon arches, which they placed 
upon the back of a camel, and called *Schevria. It 
was very convenient, as I was enabled to sit up or lie 
down in it; but the motion of the camel, which I felt 
for the first time in my life, completely exhausted me, 
in the feeble state that I was in. My Arabs began to 
dispute before they left the town, and continued during 
a whole hour, shouting and stunning every body. I 
thought they had finished; but new disputes and cries 
arose when we were outside the walls, which lasted 
another hour. At last a calm succeeded to the storm; 
and the camels being loaded, we set out upon our way 
at five, in an easterly direction, across a large desert 
plain, terminated at the horizon by groupes of small 
detached mountains, the aspect of which gave a little 
variety to the picture. 
At half-past eight in the evening we arrived at the 
mountains, which are composed of bare stone, and do 
not produce any vegetation. 
The serene atmosphere, and the moon, which shone 
bright above our heads, rendered our journey very 
agreeable. My Arabs sang and danced around me. 
For my part, I was far from being at my ease; the 
motion of the camel was insupportable. At length, 
stunned by their noise, exhausted by fatigue, and my 
weak state, I fell asleep during two hours. When I 
awoke my fever was increased; and I vomited some 
blood. 
My Arabs having fallen asleep, we lost our way; 
but discovering about midnight that we directed our 
course to Mokha, we changed it to the north-east, 
passing been woody mountains of a certain height; 
* See the Plate. 
